I was poking around the [1] NH bill tracking website, inspired by reading too many sad articles about sad agriculture setbacks in other states, when lo and behold I came across what I thought looked promising: legislation on state meat inspection.

So please correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I understand, 4 legged animals (ie not poultry but cows, pigs, sheep, etc.) must be slaughtered and processed at USDA inspected facilities in NH. Since USDA inspection is expensive and not readily available, due to their own budget shortfalls, plus having a facility to accommodate USDA inspectors is cumbersome, we have an overall shortage of appropriate and local slaughterhouses. In Maine, they have state inspected facilities and that meat can be sold within the state of Maine (it cannot cross state lines, that becomes USDA territory).

So when I first read this title, [2] An Act Relative to State Meat Inspection, I thought we here in NH were making some progress toward having state inspected facilities. I am no bill-reading expert (a skill I am looking to improve), but this looks like it is not the dream bill I had hoped. What it would do is amend the applicability to include a possibility of state inspection should the USDA allow the interstate sale of state inspected meat, before it allowed state inspection should the USDA withdraw from NH. So it’s not a bad thing, it’s just not really anything, unless there’s something brewing at the USDA - a highly unlikely scenario given recent meat scares that tend to make bureaus want to have tighter reins to avoid public outcry, though that method isn’t working. I welcome other interpretations, clarifications, opinions and thoughts -

For fun and profit:

[3] Livestock and meat inspection rules in NH

[4] NH Bill Tracking system

[5] NH Statutes Title XL: Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Husbandry

[6] Maine Bill Tracking System

[7] Maine Statutes: Agriculture and Animals